MFI and Woolworths

rdobbie · Fri 23 Jan, 2009 15.01

My local Woolworths has already re-opened as a B&M, a cheapo food and homewares chain (you know the kind of place, Snickers bars printed in Arabic for 10p and jars of Dolmio that expired a month ago for 20p).

Amazing that they got it all up and running less than 3 weeks after Woolies closed down, when you think of all the paperwork and red tape that must have been involved.

But it's a really half-arsed refit. They've kept most of the Woolies fixtures and fittings and made only minor alterations to the aisle layout. The till desk is completely unchanged (they've even kept the Woolies tills!) and is completely unsuitable for what is basically now a food supermarket - people are having to lug large heavy baskets of food onto the counter, and due to the very limited space, the assistant has to bag everything up on the floor and pass the bags back over the counter. They should have spent a few quid on installing a proper supermarket-style checkout area with conveyor belts.

Lots of the old Woolies branding remains, e.g. signs on doors in the Woolies colours and typeface, and the fittings in turquoise laminate with beech trim. Very much like the incomplete job that Morrisons did when it first rebranded some of the Safeway stores.

Fri 23 Jan, 2009 15.19

rdobbie wrote:My local Woolworths has already re-opened as a B&M, a cheapo food and homewares chain (you know the kind of place, Snickers bars printed in Arabic for 10p and jars of Dolmio that expired a month ago for 20p).

oh we've got one of those in place of our old "au natural" stupid shop up on the retail park. they're so cheap they don't even illuminate their sign. people were seen going in, and leaving soon after without bags. vile

Malpass93 · Fri 23 Jan, 2009 15.30

rdobbie wrote:My local Woolworths has already re-opened as a B&M

Before Woolworths hit the shit, they moved across Scunthorpe to a new unit, next to a cinema. The old location, strangely enough, became a B&M too. This was five years ago, but the Woolworths logo is still on the door handle.

MarkAshley · Fri 23 Jan, 2009 15.43

The old old red W logo on a pale blue door handle?

Malpass93 · Fri 23 Jan, 2009 16.00

nodnirG kraM wrote:The old old red W logo on a pale blue door handle?

Yup. They painted it dark blue, but the logo was still clear, and the paint kept flaking off.

MarkAshley · Fri 23 Jan, 2009 16.12

You see this is why Tesco is dominating the market place. By removing doors from their premesis they eliminate the need to keep re-painting them or updating their logos.

nwtv2003 · Fri 23 Jan, 2009 16.25

We have two B&M's in Warrington now, one in the Market area that's been open for years, and one in an old Au Naturale that we thought had closed down, but only after we went in there found it had become a B&M in all but name. Au Naturale if you never went in was like a poor man's Ikea, but it was half decent, now it's just a mix of the old Au Naturale and a bit of B&M like low priced toys and loads of Dog Food. Nevertheless, they are quite popular, and are good for cheap branded products.

Not sure what's happening to Warrington Woolies yet, but on the day they closed down nationally, Channel 4 News were outside it and said that the street it's on is a ghost town, not far of really, all there is left down there now is TJ Hughes, Greggs, Nationwide, Barclays, M&S, the rest have just either closed down or got the stupid boards up saying visit the Mall.

Whataday · Sat 07 Feb, 2009 21.10

I see that the Woolworths brand has been snapped up by Shop Direct and will sell Ladybird clothing, Electricals and Entertainment. This has always been the most likely option in my mind.

I expect we will eventually see some sort of presence back on the High Street, even if it is just one or two 'factory outlet' style stores these online catalogues tend to open.

Andrew Wood · Sat 07 Feb, 2009 21.13

nodnirG kraM wrote:You see this is why Tesco is dominating the market place. By removing doors from their premesis they eliminate the need to keep re-painting them or updating their logos.

Umm, in the Tesco I work in, we've had new sliding doors installed on the main entrance last Sunday evening. They were bust by Monday afternoon.

Sat 07 Feb, 2009 21.17

oh yes dundee's extra had those installed too, the temperature inside has rocketed, its now boiling and the service desk no longer needs it's silly old heater on

m-in-m · Sat 07 Feb, 2009 23.38

Hymagumba wrote:oh yes dundee's extra had those installed too, the temperature inside has rocketed, its now boiling and the service desk no longer needs it's silly old heater on

There cropping up all over the place. Is this:
[*]a) a cynical way to reduce costs by removing the need for so much heating particularly the waste full over door heaters;
[*]b) a real attempt to improve the working conditions of the poor buggers put right at the front of the store; or
[*]c) just something to irritate shoppers as the doors never open quick enough?

Answers on a virtual postcard please.